As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems often include processors for use in processing, storing, and communicating information. A processor may be coupled to other components in an information handling system through a socket mounted to a board in the information handling system. The processors typically include a plurality of pins that must be mate with the socket in order to allow the processor to function.
Conventional systems and methods for mating processors with sockets include providing a board defining mounting holes adjacent a socket and then positioning fasteners corresponding to the mounting holes in a loading mechanism and the board in order to mount the loading mechanism to the board adjacent a socket. As processors and board layouts become more complex and dense (e.g., in terms of trace routing volume), the volume and board space adjacent the socket becomes increasingly valuable. By defining six to eight holes in the board in order to mount the loading mechanism and heatsink, conventional processor loading systems use up valuable volume and board space adjacent the processor that could be utilized to, for example, route traces or position other components.